Golf bag



Feb. 18, 1930. 1 p HQOPER 1,747,715

GOLF BAG Filed April 30, 1928 Patented Feb. 18, 193@ are JAMES IP.HOOPER, OF R'UXTON, MARYLAND, ASSEGNO?, TO WM. E. I-IOOPER 6L SONSCOMPANY, OF BALTIMRE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION 0F MARYLAND GOLF BAGApplication led April 30,

The necessity for an exceptionally light golf bag, particularly for useby players not attended by Caddies, has been generally recognized andsuch bags, known as week-end bags on account of the additional dithcultyincident to obtaining caddies over the week ends when there are a largenumber of players on the links, have been manufactured and becomegenerally recognized as a commercial article by dealers and players.

l/Vhile the heavier bags are provided with longitudinal reinforcingmembers and stiffening means at the ends so that they can be stood onend with or without other lateral support, thus retaining the clubs inposition, the extremely light bags especially adapted to be carried bythe player', i. e., bags of the so-called week-end type, are made oflight fabric, the reinforce being omitted to reduce the weight. Thesebags are subject to the difficulty that when an attempt is made to standthem upright with the clubs in position in the bag they are apt tocollapse accordionwise, releasing the clubs. For this reason theso-called week-end bag is of advantage only on account of its lightness.As a holder for the clubs it is quite inferior to the heavier bags7 asit must be held suspended by the strap or laid flat to avoid collapsing.

The present invention relates t0 a golf club bag which is as light as,or which exceeds so slightly in weight the typical weekend bag as toserve all the purposes of the latter. Itis, therefore, available for allpurposes for which the former product is used and it possesses at thesame time amply sutilcient stiffness so that it serves all the purposesof the heavily stiffened and reinforced bags which may be stood upright,holding the clubs in position without any tendency to collapse, asdescribed in connection with the previously known week-end bags.

The bag which is the subject of the invention, while it is made of afabric substantially as light as that used for the flimsy bagspreviously constructed for this purpose, contains no longitudinal orlateral stiffening members corresponding to the stiffening orreinforcement of the heavy bags, the stilfening feature in the presentinstance resulting 1928. Serial No. 273,815.

from the use of a stiifening liber. This is shown in the form of a Wireenclosed within the yarn or thread of which the fabric is woven.

In the accompanying drawings l have illustrated a bag embodying thefeaturesof my invention in the preferred form. I have also illustratedin detail a fabric and'reinforce adapted to the production of thedesired result.

ln the drawings:

Figure l is an elevation of the bag con* structed in accordance with theinvention in the preferred form.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is an elevation corresponding to Figure l showing a smallfragment of the bag on an enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is an elevation of a fragment of the preferred fabric for thispurpose, likewise on an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 shows a short length of the rein-` forcing member enclosed inthe yarn in accordance with the preferred form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, each of which is used to indicatethe same or similar parts inthe different figures, the bag n of theinvention, in thepreferred form as shown, consists of an elongatedreceptacle l open at the top at 2 and closed at the bottom at 3, asindicated. This bag is shown as pro-' vided with a shoulder strap a inaccordance with the regular practice in the construction 0f golf bags.

An important feature of the invention consists in the production of thebag as an eX- ceedingly light structure which retains its form inupright and in all positions without collapsing and without the use ofheavy longitudinal or lateral reinforcing members. To this end thematerial of which the bag yis made is textile or suitable fibrousmaterial preferably spun into yarn or threads 6 and woven or otherwiseformed into a fabric or other webbing or sheets 5, which is interwovenwith fine reinforcing and stifening means 8. A wire which isconveniently available for this purpose is known as music wire.

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In the form of the invention shown, this reinforcing and stiffening Wire8 is enclosed in textile fibers forming reinforced yarn 12 whichcomprises a portion of the yarn used in the fabric 5 as illustrated inFigure 5. This may be most easily accomplished by spinning the yarnabout the Wire or otherwise Wrapping the drawn and partially spun sliveror mat 9 of fibers about the Wire 8.

In the form of the invention shown, the sides of the bag are formed of atubular portion 10 Which may be bound at the top at 11 surrounding theopening 2 and closed at the bottom by means of the bottom member 3 andthis tubular portion 1U, in accordance with the preferred form of theinvention illustrated, may be Woven on a circular loom, the reinforcedyarn 12 containing the Wire 8 serving as the weft or filling 7 the Warp14; being of the ordinary type though this exact arrangement of thefibers or the manner of Weaving and constructing is not regarded asessential.

In accordance With the construction shown and described the Weft orfilling 7 extends around the tubular portion 10 of the bag in the formof a flat helix, the patch of which 'is equal to the diameter of theweft. The bag formed of this fabric is, as already pointed out,suiiciently stiE to stand upright. In fact, it retains its shape to muchbetter advantage than the majority of heavy and reinforced bags and isat the same time prac- Y tically as light as the collapsible bagsalreadyreferred to.

I have thus described specifically and in detail a single preferredembodiment of the invention in order that the nature and manner ofconstructing the same may be fully understood, the terms herein beingused descriptively rather than in a limiting sense, the scope of thelinvention being defined in the claims.

What Iy claim as new and desire to secure my Letters Patent is:

1. A golf bag composed of woven textile fabric, the fabric having Warpthreads extending in the direction of the length of the bag and weftthreads extending around the bag, the Weft threads comprising fine vWireenclosed in textile fiber.

r2. A golf bag comprising a tubular member of textile fiber closed atone end, the tubular member consisting of Warp threads extending in thedirection of the length of the tube and weft thread consisting of a Wireenclosed in textile fiber-and extending around the tubular' stif'feningmembers interwoven in and With the fabric.

Signed by me at Baltimore, Maryland, this 27th day of April, 1928'.

JAMES P. HOOPER.

